The Love Triangle: Mackenzie Meets Jean-Luc

Chapter 1

*Note: I wrote this story, but the characters are not my own, and they are all properties of BBC Studios. If you like my story, then check out the TV show that it was based on, Bluey. It is streaming on Disney+ and I hope that you watch it!

It was Bluey Heeler's first day of big school, something she had wanted since she was six years old. Last night, she had packed and repacked her backpack a dozen times, gone to bed ridiculously early, and tossed and turned with nerves the whole night. Finally, it was morning, and Bluey was picking at her cereal while Bingo Heeler, her younger sister, was chomping hers down excitedly. Bingo desperatly wanted to get to school early so that she could catch up with all her friends.

"Come on, kiddo," Chilli Heeler, Bluey and Bingo's mother, said. "Finish your cereal, you don't want to be late."

Bluey ate a single bite before she pushed it away and said sadly, "I'm not hungry."

"What are you talking about, kid? You're always hungry," Bandit Heeler, Bluey and Bingo's father and Chilli's husband, said, clearing away the breakfast dishes.

"Well, I'm not hungry today," Bluey grumbled, as Bingo hopped off her barstool and went to her room to get ready.

"And why is that?" Chilli asked.

"I'm just nervous," Bluey mumbled. "I want to go to school, and I want to see my friends, but it might have been too long."

Chilli walked over to Bluey and put her arm around the young dog. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "It's going to be okay."

"You don't know that," Bluey muttered quietly.

"If those kids are your true friends, it'll be okay," Chilli responded. "Now up you go! You should get ready for school!"

Bluey got up and went to her room to get changed and ready.

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Half an hour later, Bingo and Bluey were all ready and in the car, with their Mum driving them to school on the way to her work. Bingo was bouncing out of her seat with excitement, but Bluey was quiet and thinking.

"Wow, Bluey," Chilli said. "You're never quiet."

"Hmm? Oh no, I guess not," Bluey said absently. Then she was quiet again.

Calypso's school approached, and Bingo got even more excited. "I'll get to see Lila! And Buddy!"

"Yeah, come on, kiddo," Chilli said. "It'll be your last year here, right?"

"Oh yeah," Bingo said. "But it'll be the best year ever!"

Chilli smiled. "Yeah, because you'll make it the best year ever! Let's go inside, I have to sign you in." The two climbed out of the car, but Chilli paused. "Bluey? Do you want to go in? You could see Calypso . ."

Bluey smiled, thinking about her old teacher. "Yeah, I would want to see her." She could help me with my problem, she thought but didn't say.

Bingo raced through the door and frantically looked around until she saw who she was looking for. "Lila!" She yelled, and the two girls danced around each other until they collapsed in a heap around each other and giggled madly.

While Chilli signed Bingo in, Bluey slowly walked over to Calypso, who was talking to Buddy's mother. Bluey waited a few minutes until Buddy's mum left, and she approached the matronly dog. "Calypso?"

"Bluey!" Calypso said, smiling. "One of my best students!"

Bluey managed a weak smile. "You were able to help me since I was 6 years old. Do you think you'd be able to help me now?"

Calypso sat down on a couch and motioned for Bluey to sit next to her. Bluey did, and she inhaled Calypso's calming scent of cloves and orange blossoms. "Well, I make no guarantees, Bluey, but I could certainly try."

Bluey took a deep breath, then began. "So, today's my first day of high school. I was really looking forward to seeing my friends, but then Mackenzie texted me something weird. I mean, he texts weird stuff all the time, but this feels . . off."

She pulled out her phone and flipped to the text. It read,

hey bluey, roses r red, ur fur is blue, i just wanted to say, i really like u. go to the movies with me?

There weren't any texts after that.

"Goodness," Calypso said, but she was smiling hugely. "He finally told you about how he felt."

"What?!" Bluey screeched. "You mean you knew this whole time?!"

"Of course!" Calypso said. "It was as obvious as the fact that the sky is blue. Mackenzie had an enormous crush on you for nearly six years!"

"Bluey! Time to go!" Chilli called.

"Calypso! What am I supposed to do now?" Bluey hissed as she was walking away.

"Either you say yes or no, dear. Listen to your heart," Calypso called after her.

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Bluey finally arrived at school about ten minutes later, and she nervously got out of the front seat. "Love you!" Chilli called, but Bluey didn't answer back.

Bluey walked to the cafeteria, where all of the youngest kids were hanging out before school. "Bluey!!" She heard a girl scream, and another, and another, and Indy, Chloe, Honey, Coco, Judo, and the rest of Bluey's girlfriends were hugging her and yelling excitedly. The boys that Bluey was friends with - Jack, Rusty, Snickers, Pretzel, Lucky, Winton, and more - hung back awkwardly. They didn't want to be seen hugging girls in public.

"Hey!" A voice called, and Mackenzie strutted into the cafeteria. "I got this great new phone over the summer . . " His voice trailed off when he saw Bluey underneath all her friends, and they quieted down fast. It was so quiet, you could hear a Chattermax drop.

"Um, hi, Bluey . . . " Mackenzie muttered uncomfortably.

Chloe got in front of Bluey, blocking Mackenzie from her view. "Girl, do you want him to talk to you?"

"Yeah, we heard all about that text he sent you, and that you never responded," Honey chimed in. "If you don't want to talk, we'll make sure he doesn't talk to you."

The other girls nodded in agreement, the bond of the sisterhood unshakable in that moment.

"No," Bluey mumbled. "I don't want to discuss it,"

The girls nodded. "Got it," Coco said.

She got right in Mackenzie's face. "She doesn't want to discuss it, Mackenzie. If you try, without Bluey's consent, we will all hunt you down and make you regret it. You got that?" Coco hissed, her pink floofy hair slamming against her head when she moved.

Mackenzie frowned, knowing that Coco would make good on her threat. "Fine. Only if Bluey doesn't want to talk about it."

"Come on, girls," Coco said snobbishly, tossing her hair and flouncing off, letting the girls follow her. Bluey did too, after a sad look at Mackenzie, who was surrounded by boys pounding fists together and saying, "Coco had no right to do that," and "If you want to talk to Bluey, you should," and words along those lines.

Bluey just sighed sadly. Her classmates, while good and loyal friends, just wouldn't understand.